


in autumn days

by softlass27



Series: Aaron Week 2020 [2]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26985691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softlass27/pseuds/softlass27
Summary: Aaron Week Day 2: "I don't have enough middle fingers to let you know how I feel."Robert – with a little help from Seb – is just trying to get his garden in order. His husband isnotso helpful.
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Series: Aaron Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967971
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75





	in autumn days

“That’s it, you’ve got it!”

Aaron fondly watched his husband and his son from his spot in the open back door, a mug of freshly-brewed coffee keeping his hands warm as he looked out into the garden.

After picking Seb up from nursery the day before, they’d nipped to the garden centre to buy a rake, Robert insisting that the amount of fallen leaves covering their lawn was getting out of control. After 15 minutes of wandering, Seb had spotted a bright red child-sized rake, and had instantly run to grab it and bring back to the half-filled trolley (because of course they couldn’t just get the _one thing_ they’d come for, not when Robert was involved) with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Please Daddy, I wanna rake the leaves, too!” he’d begged, and the thing was only a tenner, so Aaron had chucked it in the trolley with everything else. 

What was one more item when they’d already picked up _yet another_ overpriced potted plant they didn’t need?

So now Aaron was watching Robert show Seb how to rake the leaves into the pile he was creating at the foot of the garden, gently guiding Seb’s hands in a slow pulling motion before letting him try it himself. It took a few goes, but Seb eventually got the hang of it, watching the way Robert did it with his own full-sized rake before copying him as best he could, toddling alongside him.

Perhaps it wasn’t the most exciting way to spend a Saturday morning, but Aaron enjoyed himself anyway, taking a few photos and videos on his phone to show Robert later. 

At one point, the rising sun disappeared behind the gathering clouds and the morning took a dark and chilly turn, so he grabbed a couple of bobbly hats and brought them out to them.

“C’mere mister, don’t want your ears to get cold,” he said as he crouched down to gently tug Seb’s on, tucking the tips of his ears under the wool and sweeping his messy hair out of his eyes.

“You too,” he said as he yanked the larger one over Robert’s head – a little less gently this time.

“I can manage, thanks,” Robert smacked his hands away so he could adjust the hat himself.

“Just tryna be helpful.”

“You could be helpful by giving us a hand out here,” Robert fired back, raising an eyebrow and holding out the rake.

Aaron just shook his head and pressed a kiss to Robert’s cold, pink cheek, before retreating back to his perch in the doorway, letting the warmth of the house keep his back nice and toasty.

He sat on the top step for another fifteen minutes, watching as the pile of leaves under the tree grew higher and higher, and Jesus, maybe Robert did have a point about how much there was. It was _massive_.

“Think we’re done, kiddo,” Robert leaned against the rake and grinned triumphantly at the pile and the cleared green grass around it. Seb cheered and tossed his smaller rake down on the ground.

“Nice one,” Aaron said as he came to stand beside them.

“Think we deserve a hot chocolate, don’t you?” said Robert, wiping his brow.

Seb nodded vigorously. “With marshmallows.”

“Obviously, after all that hard work.” 

“Sounds good,” Aaron added, scooping Seb up in his arms.

“Er,” Robert raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t see much hard work from _you_ , Mr Sugden.”

“I… supervised,” Aaron said with a decisive nod, making Seb giggle. “So you gonna get cracking on those hot chocolates, then?”

“What, do I have to do everything round here?”

“Well, you’re the best at making them.”

“You are, Daddy,” Seb added, and Robert softened.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” he sighed and headed towards the house. “Three hot chocolates, coming up!”

Once Robert was safely inside, Aaron walked towards the giant leaf pile, still carrying Seb with him.

“You know what the best part of making a pile of leaves is?”

Seb shook his head.

“This.”

Aaron turned so he was facing away from the pile, and jumped backwards – right into it. Seb shrieked instantly, his eyes wide with surprise as they landed in among the leaves with a thump.

“Oh!” His jaw dropped open comically from his spot on Aaron’s chest, as he took in the sea of orange, red and brown surrounding them. “We fell.”

“We _jumped_ ,” Aaron grinned and picked up a handful of leaves, tossing them lightly in Seb’s face, causing him to jump and blink rapidly in surprise. He paused for about half a second, before picking up his own smaller clump and throwing them back at Aaron’s chest.

“Again, Daddy, again!”

Aaron pushed himself up and turned back to the pile, swinging Seb over it.

“One… two… _three!_ ” 

He tossed Seb alone this time, sending him flying through the air and disappearing into the pile. It only took a second for him to pop his head back up – leaves sticking to his woolly hat – and start cackling hysterically as he ran back to Aaron’s arms for another go. 

Aaron tossed him a few more times, and when the pile became too small for them to keep going, they settled for throwing and kicking leaves in each other’s direction, sending huge flurries of them up into the air. Aaron was laughing just as hard as Seb, so hard that he almost missed the strangled yell coming from behind him.

“Aaron!” 

He froze and turned to see Robert stood at the top of the garden with a stricken expression on his face.

“My lawn… ” Robert stared the pile – or what was left of it – as a strong gust of wind blew a few leaves further across the garden until they hit his feet. He looked like he might actually cry.

“D’you know how long this took me? What am I saying, of course you know, you sat on your backside and watched me do it!”

As Robert came marching down towards them, leaves crunching loudly under his feet, Aaron took a glance at the state of the garden and winced slightly. “Yeah, okay, we made a bit of a mess. But come on, what’s the point in a pile of leaves if you can’t jump in it?”

“No point,” Seb piped up from where he was half hidden behind Aaron’s legs. 

Robert shot him an exasperated look before scowling at Aaron. “I don’t have enough middle fingers to let you know how I feel right now.”

“Look, you don’t have to rake them up again, I’ll do it.”

“Too right you will!” Robert huffed, but Aaron could see a flicker of amusement creeping into his eyes. “Right, well… since you’re gonna be the one clearing this mess up, that means I can do this.”

Robert moved lightning fast, leaning down to scoop a large handful of leaves and shoving them down the collar of Aaron’s hoodie. 

“Rob, don’t!” Aaron took off running, hearing the sound of Robert and Seb laughing behind him, shortly followed by quick footsteps.

“Get ’im, Seb!” 


End file.
